NBA Playoffs 2011: What Can the Chicago Bulls Do to Stop the Miami Heat?
The name of the article says it all: How can the Chicago Bulls possibly stop Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the most dynamic duo in the NBA today?
Let's cut to the chase.
The Heat's athleticism is unparalleled, their speed unmatched (well, near tops in the league), and unlike the beginning of the year, they compliment one another splendidly (Wade and James). When Wade and James are on the floor together, the Heat are not only a better team, but a different team.
They are more explosive, dominant, and flat-out scary, and are a big reason why their defense rivals that of the Chicago Bulls.
But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and for the Heat, the Bulls are the problem. While the Bulls athleticism pales in comparison to the Big Three, what they do have going for them (besides their 4-0 record on the Heat this year) are the tools to negate the biggest guns from South Beach.
Here is the list of what the Chicago Bulls can do to become the immovable object that meets the unstoppable force. Yes, I love The Dark Knight.
Win the Rebounding Battle
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In game one, the Chicago Bulls had 31 second chance points and out-rebounded the Miami Heat by 12, a 45-33 advantage.
What better way to stop two of the fastest men in the league than by denying them the opportunity to scoop up loose balls and convert their energy into productive points?
Winning the battle of the rebounds is too important to the Bulls' success. They have a ridiculous record when they out-rebound their opponent (I apologize for not having the stats to show this), and since the Heat shot better than the Bulls during game one (the Heat shot 47.1 percent to the Bulls' 43.7 percent), it was imperative for the Bulls to establish big man dominance.
This means Boozer has to have an encore of game one (though a 20-10 night would be optimal) and Noah has to be the spark plug we all know him as.
Activate Defensive Unit Early on
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The Bulls are one of the few teams to closely resemble a football unit. They have an offensive unit and a defensive unit, something that every team has to an extent, but few of which achieve equal success on both sides of the floor the way the Bulls have.
When the defensive unit is on the floor, the clamps are placed tightly on the other team's chances of winning (though their presence is far from a victory cigarette), and while they play stout defense, the starters (aside from workhorse Deng) get the rest they sorely need in case the game gets too close for comfort.
Since they are out and about during the late stages of the game for the most part, this usually means the opposing team is down by a significant amount.
If the Bulls are to stop James and Wade, they need to activate this unit towards the middle and end of the game, which means that the offensive unit needs to slow down the duo initially so that some breathing room can be made for the defense to show up and play their part.
Seeing how effective the defense was in game one against the dynamic duo (notice I did not say the Big Three, because Bosh put on a clinic), this facet is the most important to a series victory.
Speaking of Bosh's night...
Give Chris Bosh Some Room to Breathe
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Oh yes, I said it. I believe that if the Bulls are to stop James and Wade, they need to give Chris Bosh some space to work with.
Why should the Bulls consider laying off of Bosh defensively?
Because this way, he takes more shots, becoming the go-to guy. With his confidence up, he will become the focal element of their offense, and since he is not what I would consider a situational player (one who can take the game over when necessary like James and Wade), if the game is on the line, it would be to the Bulls' benefit if Bosh is the one who thinks he can win the game on a jump-shot.
The idea here is to get the ball out of Wade and James' hands by putting it into the hands of another.
While Bosh is a superstar, he is not the caliber player of Wade and James (but in his defense, no one really is aside from a few, one of whom I will get to later), and if he is the one taking crucial shots, thank goodness.
But in the end, it is still a pick your poison situation. Bosh can nail it from a distance, so even if the ball is in his hands and not the dynamic duo's, if the game is on the line, the Heat can win easily.
Plus, one has to consider the fact that Bosh had an excellent night overall (30 points) and the Heat still lost by 20 plus. Maybe lightning can strike twice. Maybe if he scores 40, they will lose by 30 (okay, not going to happen, but a man can dream).
And hey, with Boozer guarding Bosh, this detail shouldn't be too hard, right?
Get Them out of Their Normal Tempo
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I have referred to the speed of these two numerous times throughout this slideshow. However, it is for the reason that these two are simply too fast for most teams in this league to handle. This is why many people predicted that the Heat would win the East before a single game was played.
When they are clicking, no one can undo them. When their tempo is established, and the opposing team has to play to their style, the Heat almost always win because they score in droves and have a consistent offense once they have a feel for the game.
So what can the Bulls do?
Well, since the Heat's offense heavily relies on these two to outperform everyone else on the floor (when the two are on the floor together with sharpshooter James Jones, their offensive production is daunting), the Bulls therefore need to find a way to slow them down very early on.
This means playing good defense and praying that they do not hit their normal shots (kind of like what happened in game one). Also, the Coach of the Year needs to once again out-do his counterpart, Erik Spoelstra, since it was Thibodeau's scheme that ultimately won the game, but we'll get to that later.
If the Bulls can disrupt their flow, then they can establish their own speed and force the Heat to play essentially another type of game. This is much harder than it sounds, because stopping these two simultaneously is like one Lex Luthor trying to stop two Superman's (Supermen?).
But since Luther is a genius, I am sure he could withstand the challenge, and the same can be said about the Bulls. They did it once, and they can surely do it again.
Thibodeau Needs to Have an Encore Performance
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Simply put, Thibodeau embarrassed the young Erik Spoelstra. Thibs' defense was smothering, and the offense was well executed (I did not see many Joe Johnson shots taken). The Bulls were simply gelling during game one, and in order to have success against Wade and James, Thibs needs his team to do this three more times.
One can argue that the players simply played hard, but all sheep need a shepherd, and you cannot undermine the importance of a well thought out game or well executed approach.
The defensive transitions were spot on from the get go, and the players had tenacity in their steps. The help defense was utilized when necessary, and individual performances were outstanding (one in particular will get mentioned a bit later).
Thibs just needs to out-coach Spoelstra once more if his team is to outplay Wade and James.
Derrick Rose Needs to Make the Bulls Better
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Derrick Rose is the youngest MVP ever, and with that comes a great amount of pressure to perform. Now, in a seven game series with the Heat, there is even more pressure on him to succeed, and this has to translate into more than individual stats.
Rose has to outdo two former MVP's in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (Finals MVP, I know) in other ways. Rose cannot do this alone, and part of his team's success falls on his status as the team's floor general.
Rose will get double teamed and guarded by Wade and James, two staunch defenders who can block a bullet with their bare hands without receiving any damage.
Because of this, he has to find the open man more. He has to anticipate passes, anticipate defensive switches, and deliver the ball to those who are not gifted off of the dribble.
In short, he has to become more of a passing point guard and less of a scoring point guard. Not that he needs to score less, but since he alone cannot take on the Heat behemoths, his teammates need to step up, and Rose will be partly responsible for their collective production.
In short, stop Wade and James by giving them more to worry about.
Luol Deng Needs to Step Up Again, and Again, and Again
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You have heard of what Luol Deng did to LeBron James, right? Of course you have, everyone has, and for good reason. Deng simply shut down the former two-time MVP, and even outscored him in the process.
Deng disrupted the self-proclaimed King's shot, leading to James missing shots he normally makes and in general not establishing himself like he normally does. Two early athletic dunks seemed to quickly fade away as the Bulls eventually took the lead and never looked back.
During Miami's potential comeback, James was not even a factor. The duo sat out during the final minutes of the game because it was simply out of reach. Credit Deng's performance for this turn of events.
If Deng can take James out of games early, then this series has just become much easier for the Bulls.
However, James is the best player in the league right now in terms of balance. His game cannot be touched by even the likes of Derrick Rose (I will stand by this until proven otherwise), and I fully expect him to score in droves before the series ends.
Deng is a wonderful defender, but James is a better offensive force.
Having said that, Deng doesn't need to work on stopping James as much as he needs to work on minimizing his damage, although a repeat defensive performance could happen.
As for Wade? Just hope he goes to sleep again.
